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Monday, September 19, 2011

Review: JYJ–“In Heaven”

Junsu gets a second chance to treat his girlfriend right in JYJ's “In Heaven.”

Did you like the song?
The opening to this song was pretty cool: creepy choral tones that sounded like they belonged in a Lord of the Rings death scene or something. It really set the tone of the music video well, if a bit melodramatically. But that section isn’t really part of the song, so…

“In Heaven” is a lovely ballad that, like the rest of the album, JYJ members helped to compose/write, and that is some pretty impressive stuff. Am I a fan? Oh yes. Did I personally like this particular song? Kind of. Again, ballads aren’t my style, and I much prefer JYJ’s more up-tempo songs. However, this song did seem much more…them than Ayyy Girl, their first MV, which I really disliked despite loving all the members.

What was your favorite part of the song?Every line that Jaejoong sings.The chorus is probably my favorite part, along with the bridge that slowly crescendos to that explosive last long note. However, I kind of hate the few seconds of silence they put between that bridge and the very last chorus in the music video. It totally dissipates the momentum that was building. (In general, it annoys me when songs are interrupted in music videos, but I don’t think that space is there in the actual album version of the song.)

Does the English make you want to rip your eardrums out?
No English in this song, but since JYJ’s first album The Beginning was entirely in English, there’s no question that the boys can handle the language.

Did you like the video?
Music videos that are plotty tend to keep my interest, but I do think this video was a bit long for its rather cliché plot. I don’t mean to complain, but a lot of the video is just shots of Junsu going through his daily life trying to get over his grief: staring at walls, doing work while her picture is in his desk, tossing and turning in bed, contemplating olives or pickles in the fridge, that sort of thing. And the lack of Yoochun and especially Jaejoong is painful. I can’t tell you how irritating it is to wait for a JYJ video and find that only one member is in it (I’m pretty sure my Jaejoong bias is showing here, sorry about that, but I also like Yoochun very much, and I can’t see their fans being particularly pleased).

Was there a storyline? If so, did it make sense?
It’s plot-tastic! So as far as I can tell, the basic storyline is: Junsu looks hot in glasses.

Nerdy business manager-chic.

Oh wait, what? Okay, fine.

Real storyline: Junsu is dating actress Song Ji Hyo and is a good businessman but kind of a douchey boyfriend. He ignores one of her calls so she…walks into traffic and dies. Um. Overreaction, much? But whatever. Junsu is very depressed and only realizes his girlfriend’s worth after she’s, you know, dead.

Then Junsu checks the calendar and sees that he has a chance to fix things because he has been taken back in time. It’s August 2008, Ji Hyo isn’t dead yet (3:17: “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”), and he still has a chance to actually value her and save her life! They go on dates where Junsu hires a mariachi band or something. Anyway, Junsu tries to really love and appreciate her.

“I appreciate you so much that we can go biking together!”

Except on the day that she’s supposed to die, he still goes to the office, so she still has a chance to wander into the street. I know, right?! See, if I knew before it happened that my lover would die because of a certain thing on a certain day, I would take steps to correct that. For example, if he had a weird habit of walking out in front of oncoming cars, I would remind him every day to always look both ways before crossing the street. And I would stick by him like glue on the day he was supposed to die. I wouldn’t let him out of my sight. That would be a day to stay at home and play Monopoly.

Let’s stay home and do some light gardening today, all right?

Still, because Junsu forgot it was her death day or something, Ji Hyo again manages to wander into traffic with her little potted plant. But this time Junsu runs into traffic after her and shoves her out of the way…and here’s where there are two interpretations as to what happens. One is that Junsu succeeds and they live happily ever after. The other, which is probably more logical, is that both Junsu and Ji Hyo get hit by oncoming traffic and die. Then they meet up and hold hands and are together forever…In Heaven.

See what I did there?

Was the dance cool and distinctive?
JUNSU IS SUCH A SEXY DANCER AND YET THERE IS NO DANCE. *cries*

Do the members look good?
Of course, of course. It’s physically impossible for members of JYJ to look bad. Plus, I think everyone can appreciate Junsu’s duckbutt.

This does not make me a pervert, okay?

Which member stood out the most?
…I am so sad that Jaejoong and Yoochun aren’t in this video that it’s really hard for me to concentrate.

Do you like it enough to buy the song?
Oh dear, it hurts me so much to say this because I adore JYJ’s more upbeat songs (i.e. Be the One, Empty, Mission, and Pierrot), and it’s undeniably a pretty song, but it’s just not for me. *ducks rotten fruit*

Any ending thoughts?
So Yoochun appears in the drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal, and it’s a big hit. Then Jaejoong appears in the drama Protect the Boss, and so far it’s been popular. This time it’s Junsu’s turn to act (other than in his really successful musical, Mozart!).

Guest one two-liner! From boyfriend’s friend, who is visiting:
“There was definitely enough room for that car to brake there, but it looked like it was speeding up! When cars speed up to hit you, you know you’re doing something wrong.”

WELCOME!

환영합니다. I’m a Korean pop music fan in America, and I write opinionated reviews of Kpop music videos. Please feel free to request a review and to disagree with me. Check the archives for a masterlist of past reviews.